No one is a carbon copy of another human being, but I am curious to know who your mentors are. Who made a positive impression in your life?
Let me say I am impressed with the viewpoint of President Obama in his selection of the country’s Solicitor General Elena Kagan as his nominee to succeed retiring U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stevens on the high bench.
Why?
Is it simply because she is a woman? Is it simply because she is single? Is it simply because she is a former University dean?
Is it simply because she and the President both taught at Chicago University Law School?
Is it simply because she has served two Presidents?
Is it simply because she was against the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, when it was first considered?
Is it simply because she is north of 40 years of age? Is it simply because she matriculated at Princeton, Oxford and Harvard?
How about the following explanation:
Supreme Court Nominee Elena Kagan may follow mentor to Bench
Here’s the real good news. Ms. kagan is a former clerk of the Associate Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. She credits Marshall as one of her mentors. “Those who sit at the feet of giants.” I’m in awe. Here’s my thought, some of the good stuff Marshall embodied, like warrior and drum major for justice, strongly took hold.
No doubt, Ms. Kagan is among the foremost legal minds in the country. She is considered to have by experience and connections a wealth of public and, perhaps more importantly, private knowledge of the American political landscape.
She is a teacher. Kagan has worked for Presidents Clinton and presently, Obama, served as Dean of Harvard Law School; the first woman to do so; and, is the first female U.S. Solicitor General. She will become the third woman to serve simultaneously on the high court, and among a rare few justices who have clerked at the Court before making their own high marks only to return as a justice; that is if she is approved by the U.S. Senate.
Think about it. What does it mean to have a mentor, the likes of a true drum major for justice? What did Justice Marshall, a larger than life legal mind and strategist in the civil rights struggle, tell her many years ago about the law and how it effects every person, cradle to grave, the whole life of humans–their hopes–their aspirations–their pursuit of happiness–their inalienable rights endowed in the American experience and echoed in the U.S. Constitution?
What simple kindness did he offer in those hallowed halls, while just being himself?
I say it all matters greatly. Survey, if you will, the picture of Justice Marshall looking out and over her.
Thurgood Marshall (center)
Marshall born in 1902 grew up through some of the tough years of post emancipation-Jim Crow, the bedrock of the southern strategy, and advocated for change in the social fabric of America. He was also instrumental in ending the legal practice of segregation in public schools, having brilliantly argued the “meticulously tailored” five cases of Brown vs the Board of Education, including before the Supreme Court as Chief Council for the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). President Johnson nominated Marshall for the Supreme Court , and he became the first African American to sit on the bench.
You grow older and wiser through mentoring, in your present moment.
New START Treaty signed by President Obama and President Medvedev
A measure of peace is being willing to consider lessening the temperature for war and mutual mass destruction.
Prague, Czechoslovakia, April 8, 2010 Presidents Obama and Medvedev took that step in signing what many call a landmark treaty to reduce each of their country’s nuclear arsenals and redirect many of those warheads still standing away from cities.
How cool is that? How calming the thought to march toward peaceful resolutions of issues. And, in doing so perhaps dragging the world in lock step toward nuclear disarmament. We can hope and continue to search for a path forward no matter how bleak. But, today the world got a strong dose of hope with this signing, and many around the world will sleep a lot easier…Peaceful sleep and mindful verification.
House delivers a major Healthcare reform shot in the arm
This discourse, you will note began in earnest with me in August, 2009, the time of the Post Just the Fax versus the Facts.
I am reminded of the comments of a caller to the morning program on C-SPAN recently who asked why reporters were not giving the facts about Healthcare in the United States. She went on to say that Americans are waiting for real information and are sick of relying on the FAX (party line and industry talking points) but not the facts. “We are capable of making decisions,” she said.
Here’s the stunning part. The host of the program responded to the caller by saying the reporters job is to tell what each side is saying. “But what about the facts?” There was silence. I hope that silence was an admission of a ray of enlightenment of what is sorely missing not only in this program, but many news programs that say they are above entertaining us, but are trying to provide an informational service and not picking sides but siding with the facts, not just the FAX (political talking points).
Truth is a hard sale. Both Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite said it, but we should do it anyway. So, reporters, factually does the American Healthcare system need reform?
Is the current Healthcare system a drag on the economy and the U.S. economic recovery?
Do Americans with Healthcare care about those who do not have any or can’t afford Health Insurance? How many Americans don’t have Healthcare? Is this a health problem for the nation according to the CDC, Centers For Disease Control? Why? (Perspective reading from the CDC on some chronic ills the nation faces.)
And when we face facts, from 30-thousand feet, for example facts and observations from the World Health Organization (WHO) what we find are reasons that compel movement forward on expanding health services, not, exclusion and entrenchment as leaders face the inequities in health services. The following excerpt is taken from the WHO 2008 report on Primary Health Care:
“In well-regulated and well-funded health-care systems; in addressing these patterns of exclusion within the health-care sector, the starting point is to create or strengthen networks of accessible quality primary-care services that rely on pooled pre-payment or public resources for their funding. Whether these networks are expanded by contracting commercial or not-for-profit providers, or by revitalizing dysfunctional public facilities is not the critical issue. The point is to ensure that they offer care of an acceptable standard.”
It goes on to say:
“Inequalities in women’s access to health care merit attention. In the United States, for example, declines in female life expectancy of up to five years in over 1000 counties point to differential exposure and clustering of risks to health even as the country’s economy and health sector continues to grow. For a variety of reasons, some groups within these societies are either not reached or insufficiently reached by opportunities for health or services and continue to experience health outcomes systematically inferior to those of more advantaged groups.”
Reporters which counties were identified? Which states are the counties in question located? Which congressional districts are the counties? Why is this happening? Is it a trend? Is it an aberration? Is it true? Should we care about the life expectancy of some women, all women and to at least check it out? Absurd?
Consider this. We are the evidence of the present Healthcare system. We reflect wellness or the lack thereof. We live under the fear of getting cancer, having a heart attack, suffering from stroke, high blood pressure, having a nervous breakdown and miscarriages, HIV-AIDS and there is a resurgence of tuberculosis.
Cancer is an industry now. It wasn’t when I was a young boy growing up in Cleveland, Ohio in the early 50’s. I recount the following observations in my yet to be published historical/memoir Saints, Sages and Presidents: Media’s Impressions On A Life:
“My world was safe enough.”
World news did creep in during weekend gatherings at Papa’s house and the men folk talked about the issues… “This thing called cancer is some mean stuff.”“I tell you when they solve the rust problem; they’ll cure cancer,” they would say.Had they surmised oxidation was a factor in both?Hmmm!
There is an industry built around heart attacks. diabetes and HIV-AIDS. Its as if when Jonas Salk and others who solved polio (through polio prevention vaccines), that the achievement itself and breakthrough came to symbolize bad news in some sectors… No it was and should prevail as symbolizing the promise of “good news;” a healthy and vibrant people. My ancient teachings inform me that humanity moves forward, it evolves. A word that may fit better for the times we live, is converge. No matter how much we kick, yell and scream the older we get, the further down life’s trial we find ourselves certain recurring thoughts emerge…”This journey is finite and we want much of it lived healthy, if not all of it… Is that consensus or convergence, or both?”
Somewhere we have gotten off track. And, some have rightly reported that a number of Presidents have realized that the issue of health or wellness is critical and it must be addressed in the main, so that a true pursuit of happiness for all can occur.
As the C-SPAN caller said, Americans are capable of making good decisions when they are given reliable facts. Can you give us some hard facts, not the FAX? Achieving a good policy, a Healthcare Accord, is essential and critical to all citizens now, regardless of allegiances, ratings and circulation numbers.
At the end of October the Senate and the House unveiled Healthcare Reforms bills that were similar.
House Democratic leadership step carefully in passage of its affordable healthcare bill.
Saturday, November 7th, the House passed its Healthcare Reform measure by a 220 to 215 vote.
Thursday, December 24th, the Senate passed its Healthcare package by a 60-39 vote. Not a single Republican Senator voted in favor of the historic health insurance reform measure that would give an estimated 30-million citizens currently without health insurance the right to coverage.
Why?
Why were the Republicans against Social Security? Why were Republicans against Medicare?
Was it, or is it, because of a belief in staunch individualism? There is an ancient saying, “go alone and go high, go together and go far.” Personally I would rather share with others and go far.
Sometimes our contributions do fall short, but we have to do it with people, engage them where they are to have any real meaning…That’s love and it is the only thing that transcends this life.
My thoughts on Christmas Eve, 2009.
The two bills, the Senate’s and the house’s will be hammered into one piece of legislation during conference.
This sentiment echoed across some media, “the Democratic majority is governing.”
Spring 2010, on March 21st in the House of Representatives chamber, a new reality emerged.
Democratic members of the house passed the Senate version of the Healthcare Bill and also passed a fix bill for the Senate to pass to adjust the House passed Senate Bill. In short Healthcare reform for all Americans has passed and awaits President Obama’s signature. Mr. Obama’s signature, signing the bill into law, should come this week.
The President and the House leadership, lead by Speaker Nancy Pelosi have kept their promise to deliver Health reform, which they both describe as an historic as well as an important first step in getting the nation where it needs to be, healthier.
On Tuesday March 23, 2010 President Obama signed the historic Health Bill into law and said the work continues as he acknowledged all those who chose to help Americans in need of quality health care.
The Senate got a second chance to fix the landmark legislation, and the House approved changes later the same evening on the legislation which in total has been described as a major opportunity for all citizens.
Oslo City Hall is where President Obama directed the world’s attention to the wages of war as he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize and he charted a courageous coarse for world citizens, nation states and institutions to take, to wage peace, which he said was our mission on earth to do.
Here’s some of the satellite broadcast of the President’s acceptance speech by SKY NEWS.
The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony began with the timely and dynamic musical improvisations of Esperanza Spalding.
Following the ceremony a “Wycletic” performance in honor of President Obama’s magnanimous achievement and acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize Award and responsibility:
Here’s the thing. US troops are scheduled to leave Iraq summer 2010, as promised.
And, on March 26, 2010 President Obama delivered on Nuclear Arms Reductions negotiations with Russia, as reported in the NYTimes.
Congressman John Robert Lewis at the 89th NCSS Conference in Atlanta
I have heard Congressman John Lewis speak many times over the years and I have always been left in a better place having heard him.
Just recently his urging members of Congress not to be afraid to be on the right side of history in passing Health Reform legislation, in part, spurred the House on in an historic vote in the affirmative..220 to 215. What he says and how he says it resonates.
And, today speaking at the opening breakfast of the National Council for the Social Studies Conference, this man called the Conscious of the Congress, out did himself.
Congressman John Lewis is more than a textbook. He is the living example of spirit triumphant over experience.
Clearly the experience of hate as he and others faced nearly fifty years ago as they confronted the evil of segregation could have left him bitter and broken. In fact he said he found it liberating to stand up for something that would make life better for all people. He said no longer are we (America) a divided house, but one house and one people. However he warned that we should never forget the sacrifice that it took to turn the country.
If it was only about experience, there would be no beauty in his story.
But, his story is about spirit. And, as we know, Spirit triumphs over matter.
I was there for Congressman Lewis’ presentation this morning. My report is that no visiter to this ocassion was the same after Mr. Lewis spoke. There wasn’t a dry eye among the people in the packed house of witnesses to history.
News J Review
